A review by thomaswjoyce
Like Jagged Teeth by Betty Rocksteady

5.0

Weird and creepy from the very start and throughout, this is the stuff of nightmares. I was instantly gripped by the mood Rocksteady created, unnerving the reader when the protagonist's Poppa arrived to rescue her. Then the creepiness factor goes off the scale as, through the use of the first person narrative, we are gradually drawn into the murky depths of the narrator's worst nightmares. The author's ability to create such dark and disturbing scenes are a joy to behold. But this isn't simply an exercise to see how much Rocksteady can gross us out. I mean, there is plenty of that. But she also examines the idea of what it means to be an outcast, the lengths to which some of us will go to be accepted, and the despair and depression that many young people feel when they fail to feel that acceptance. These scenes offer a momentary moving respite from the sheer horror of the narrator's fight for survival. A thrilling read that will keep you gripped until the very last page.